Sugar dispenser and strainer



March 13, 1951 IE. PATOE 2,545,240

SUGAR DISPENSER AND STRAINER Filed May 2, 1947 w13' BY IITTOQNEYPatented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE SUGAR' -DSPENSER ANDSTRAINER Edward Patoe, New York, N. Y. Application May 2, 1947, SerialNo. 745,425

8 Claims. 1`

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in spills ordispensers -ior granulated material such as sugar. The type of dispensert which the invention is well adapted to be applied is the familiar onewherein the body of the 'dis` penser is substantially cylindrical andhas a -flat bottom,A and there is a conical upper portion ter-r minatingat its top in -a spill opening through which the sugar or the likefisdispensed when th dispenser is inverted. Y

The principal vobject-of the invention is vto-provide anovel andvaluable means within the dispenser for insuring that when the latter isinverted for spi-ll dispensing, the -spill opening will not then beclogged by lumps of the granular material to be dispensed. As is thecommon ex'- perience, a store of sugar in a dispenser or other containerbecomes lumped due to moisture absorption and the pressure of its vownweight.

A further object is to provide an arrangement of parts such tha-tsaidmeans functions for 'break ing down lumps whenever the dispenser ishandled in the -usual way for spill dispensing.

Another object is to provide a lump 'breaking means as above with whichis associated a straining or sifting means, and which as to its lumpbreaking and straining or sifting parts is cona tained wholly Within thespill dispenser.V

A further object is to provide said means so constituted that the partslast referred to operate entirely within the spill dispenser.l .A

Still a further object is to provide a means as above which is of simpleand rugged construction, yet easy to manufacture and hence inexpensiveto fabricate. K

In attaining the objects of the invention, the lump breaking andstraining or sifting means is preferably employed in connection with aspill dispenser of the conventional type, that is, one including acylindrical closed body with readily removable top or bottom members,land with oneY or both of these members carrying devices for mountingand guiding the lump breaking and straining or sifting elements formovement in are actuated bygravity to `fall down' along the legsof the Us, and when the spill is again placed up= right they again traverse thelegs of tne'ns. Use of the Spill, therefore, is adapted to Gnseconstantly changing relation between the dises and their moun gs, thusto agitato and break up lumpsin the sugar contained in the spill to "potvide unclumped sugar granules, and to strain or sift the latter fromany lumps not broken up by said projections or the crush-ing ladtioli ofthe discs".

In 'another preferred form of the invention, a plurality of such discsaren securedat intervals along a rod which is slidable relative Vtoanother disc secured ifplace inside the top coi/'eroff the spill. Thelatterdisc assists va. specially construc'it` ed bottom cover of thespill in slidably' mounting the rod. said cover is formed with anupwardly extending chamber entered by the bottom portion of the rod,where the rod carries a weight.

Upon lifting the spill preparatory to usiig' same, the weight causes therod to move 'in 'a direction tol send all the discs on the rod downthrough the sugar, and upon replacing 'the `spill upright on its bottom,said discs 'are again yforced through the sugar.

Ae'eor'ding to still another preferred ff'rir'i or tine invention, apair' of cooperating discs, with per` rotations and projections asabove, raetcoiointly pursuant to the invention; one of these dises beingsecured to a preferably readily removable bot part for the s'pill ordispenser and the other yo'elngy revolvable along a rod fiXedlyupstaiiding from said bottom part. In this arrangement, yeach time thedispenser is placed uprighton its loot-i tom (as after spil-1dispensing, thereby to send the last-mentioned disc by its own weight tothe 'end of the rod remote from sai-d bottom cover) said lastementioneddise, thisY time also by its own' weight, descends toward the bottom ofthe'dis'- penser, to break up lumps of the material in the latter.

Theprojeetions on the disc a-re preferably conical ones having fairlysharp points. 45

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andkadvantages thereof, refer'- ence Will be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawing, and to the 'appended claims inwhich the various novel features of the invention are more particularly'set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this' disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of 'one Aof the preferred forms of theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing another of the preferredforms, of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring first in detail to the arrangement i1- lustrated in Figs. 1and 2, the improved sugar spill I is here shown as comprising asubstantially cylindrical body I I of glass, plastic or othertransparent material. The body II is formed at either end with thecircumferential threads I2 for the ready attachment of a top cover I3and the bottom cover I4.

'The top cover I3 has, conventionally, a frustoconical shell formed withthe usual upper spill opening I6 and the threads I'I for engagement withthe threads I2 of the body I I.

A circular disc I5, secured to and within the top cover I3 at the baseof the main conical portion thereof by solder or by other means so ascompletely to close and overlie the top opening of thebody I I, isformed with a plurality of like perforations I9 uniformly placed overthe disc, and interspersed at locations adjacent said perforations, saiddisc is provided with conical projections 26 which project downwardlyfrom its upper surface.

A U-shaped bracket 2I is secured to the disc I and extends downwardlytherefrom into body II, the free ends of the legs 22 of the bracketbeing riveted or upset relative to said disc; the legs 22 being joinedat their lower ends by the bight portion 23 of the U-shaped bracket 29.A floating circular disc 24 is slidably mounted on the legs 22 ofbracket 2|, and this disc has perforations 25 and conical projections26, these last directed toward disc I5. It will be noted thatprojections 26 are staggered relative to projections 26 so that as thedisc 24 is sliding along the legs 2I approaches disc I8, the tips of theprojections 26 of the disc I5 may come very close to the disc 24 and thetips of the projections 26 may come very close to the disc I5.

rIvhe bottom cover I4 is a shallow cup member having an upstanding skirtor cylindrical side wall formed with threads at 21 for engagement 'withthe threads I2 at the bottom of the body II. The upper or inside face ofthe bottom floor wall of cup I4 is provided with the substantiallyconical projections 28. Secured to the cup I4 and extending upwardlytherefrom is a second inverted U-shaped bracket 29, the legs 30 of whichhave their lower or free ends riveted or upset relative to the cup I4;the legs 30 being joined at their upper ends by the bight portion 3I ofthe U-shaped bracket 29. The oating circular disc 32 Vis slidablymounted on the legs 30 of the bracket 23, and this ldisc hasperforations 33 and conical projections 34, these projections, also,being staggered relative to the projections 28.

In operation, when the sugar spill is inverted, Y

the floating discs 24 and 32 will move by gravity from the positionsillustrated in Fig. 2 in full lines to the positions shown in brokenlines in that view, saiddiscs then acting as lump breakers and also asstrainers or sifters for free granules. Constant sliding of the discs 24and 32 through the body of .the sugar contained in body II will operatecontinually to break up lumps of sugar which may have formed. Theprojections 20 and 26 will coact, and at the same time the projections28 and 34 will coact, and thus likewise operate'to break up lumps.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. I3 and 4, theimproved sugar spill is here shown as including a substantiallycylindrical body 4I of glass, plastic or other transparent material,topped by a cover 42 of frusto-conical shape having a spill opening 43.The cover 42 has the threaded portion 44 adapted removably to engage thethreads 45 on body 4I.

Secured within the upper'cover 42 is a circular Adisc 46, extendingacross and closing the upper end of the cylindrical body 4I. The disc 46is provided with perforations 41 and downwardly extending conicalprojections 48.

The bottom cover 49 is a shallow cup, having an upstandingA skirt orcylindrical side wall formed with the threads 50 for engagement with thethreads 5 I on the body 4 I.

At its central portion the cup 49 is provided with an upwardly extendingopen-bottomed cham-ber 52, through the roof wall of which chamber thelower end of a rod 53 is slidably guided; the upper end of said rodbeing guided in the sleeve 54 carried by and depending from the disc 46.

Within the body 4I are a plurality of circular discs 55 and 58, thesesecured to the rod 53 at spaced points therealong. Each of said discs isprovided with perforations 59 and intervening conical projections, thosemarked 60 projecting upwardly and those marked 6I projecting downwardlyfrom their respective discs. Y In the present case, the projections onone disc are aligned with the projections which from an adjacent discare directed toward the former disc.

` With the dispenser upright, as in Fig. 3, the lower end of the rod 53,which is threaded at 62, is contained in the chamber 52; and to suchthreaded part of the rod a weight 63 is secured, by means of an internalthread in the weight. The weight 63, which desirably is cylindrical, asis the interior of the chamber 52, has a flat bottom, so that with thedispenser upright the weight will be completely housed in the chamber52, and, the position of the weight as it rests on its said flat bottom,determines the elevation of the rod 53 in the container.

To restrain down movement'of the rod 53 in the body 4I to apredetermined extent, certain of the projections 6I depending from thelowermost disc58 are relied on to accomplish this, by engagement of thepoints'of these projections with the upper surface of the roof wall ofthe chamber 52, when, on lifting the dispenser, the weight 63 is freetofdrop to its broken'line position 63. The sleeve 54 is of a lengthsuch that after the weight 63 has dropped all the way, permitted as`claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a sugar spill, in combination with a hollow body portion having aspill opening, an interior means including a part movable inside thespill, means for guiding said part to sliding movement, said part movingin response to gravity toward either end of the spill when that end isYlowered below the otherend of the spill, said part shaped tobreakupsugar lumps when strikandere s, ing same incidental te movement of saidpart in the spill, saidfspill Aalso having a strainer member below itsspill opening and abovethe -eld of operation of said movable part, saidbody portion being of substantially circular cross section opposite theiield of operation of rsaid movable part, said movable part being a.substantially circular disc, said fguiding means extending verticallywhen the spill rests on its bottom, and said 'disc having an openingengaging said guiding means, the m-utually engaging portions of theguiding means and of said Vpart being shaped and arranged to hold said`part :always to a disposition substantially perpendicular to directionof eX- tension of the guiding means, said guiding means being the le'gsof a U-shaped bracket fixed in the spill.

2. In a sugar spill, in combination with a hollow body portion having aspill opening, an in'terior means including a part movable inside thespill, and means for guiding said part to sliding movement, said partmoving in response to gravity toward either end of the spill when thatend is lowered below the otherA end of the spill, said guiding meansbeing a iixed upstanding rod secured at its lower endto a portion of thespill near its bottom, said part being perforated and having downwardlyextending projections, the bottom of the spill having upwardly extendingprojections.

3. A sugar dispenser, comprising a container body having a pouring spouton its upper end, a rod slidable through the bottom of the dispenser.body, said bottom having an upstanding chamber and said rod having aweight normally housed therein, and a combined sifter disc and lumpbreak mounted on the rod and slidable in the body with the rod, saidweight being adapted to move the rod and disc downwardly when thedispenser body is lifted from a table on which'it is supported.

4, In a sugar spill having a cylindrical body open at its top and bottomends with a conical shaped top cover closing the open top end and formedwith an upper spill opening and a bottom cover closing the bottomopening, means within the body for breaking up lumps which form in thesugar contained in the body, comprising a circular disc mounted withinthe top cover to extend across the open top end of the body and formedwith a plurality of perforations, a plurality of projections formed onthe bottom face of said disc between said perforations, a plurality ofprojections formed on the inside face of the bottom cap, a pair ofsuperimposed discs vertically slidably mounted within the body andformed with perforations, projections formed on the top face of thetopmost of said pair of discs to cooperate with the projections formedon the bottom face of said first-mentioned disc, and projections formedon the bottom face of the bottommost of said pair of discs to cooperatewith the projections formed on the inside face of said bottom cover.

5. In a sugar spill having a cylindrical body open at its top and bottomends with a conical shaped top cover closing the open top end and formedwith an upper spill opening and a bottom cover closing the bottomopening, means within the body for breaking up lumps which form in thesugar contained in the body, comprising a circular disc mounted withinthe top cover to extend across the open top end of the body and formedwith a plurality of perforations, a plurality of projections formed onthe bottom face of said disc between said perforations, a piu-A ralityof projections formed on the inside face of the bottom cap, a pair ofsuperimposedcdiscs vertically slidably mounted within the body andformed with perforations, projections formed on the top face of thetopmostof said pair o discs to cooperate with the projections formed onthe bottom face of said first-mentioned disc, and projections formed -onthe bottom face of the bottommost of said pair of discs to cooperatewith the projections formed on the inside face Yof said bottom cover,said projections-being conical shaped. Y

6. In a sugar spill having Va cylindrical body open at its top andbottom ends with a Vconical shaped top cover closing the open top endand formed with an upper spill opening and a bottom cover closing thebottom opening, means within the body for breaking up lumps which formin the sugar contained in the body, comprising a circular disc mountedwithin the top cover to extend across the open top end of the body andformed with a plurality of perforations, a plurality of projectionsformed on the bottom face of said disc between said perforations, a-plurality of projections formed on the inside .face of the bottom cap,a pair of superimposed discs vertically slidably mounted within the bodyand formed with perforations, projections formed on the top face of thetopmost of said pair of discs to cooperate with the projections formedon the bottom face of said first-mentioned disc, and projections formedon the bottom face of the bottommost ci said pair of discs to cooperatewith the projections formed on the inside face of said bottom cover,said projections of said pair of discs being offset with relation to theprojections of said rst-mentioned disc and the bottom cover so that theprojections will be interengaged `when each disc of said pair of discsmoves toward its respective first-mentioned disc or the bottom wall.

7. In a sugar spill having a cylindrical body open at its top and bottomends with a conical shaped top cover closing the open top end and formedwith an upper spill opening and a bottom cover closing the bottomopening, means within the body for breaking up lumps which form in thesugar contained in the body, comprising a circular disc mounted withinthe top cover to extend across the open top end of the body and formedwith a plurality of perforations, a plurality of projections formed onthe bottom face of said disc between said perforations, a plurality ofprojections formed on the inside face of the bottom cap, a pair ofsuperimposed discs vertically slidably mounted within the body andformed with perforations, projections formed on the top face of thetopmost of said pair of discs to cooperate with the projections formedon the bottom face of said first-mentioned disc, and projections formedon the bottom face of the bottommost of said pair of discs to cooperatewith the projections formed on the inside face of said bottom cover, andmeans within the body for guiding vertical sliding movements of saidpair 0In discs within the body.

8. In a sugar spill having a cylindrical body open at its top and bottomends with a conical shaped top cover closing the open top end and formedwith an upper spill opening and a bottom cover closing the bottomopening, means within the body for breaking up lumps which form in thesugar contained in the body, comprising a circular disc mounted withinthe top cover to extend across the open top end of the body and formedwith a plurality of perforations, a plurality of projections formed onthe bottom face of said disc between said perforations, a plurality ofprojections formed on the inside face of the bottom cap, a pair ofsuperimposed discs vertically slidably mounted within the body andformed with perforations, projections formed on the top face of thetopmost of said pair of discs to cooperate with the projections formedon the bottom face of said first-mentioned disc, and projections formedon the bottom face of the bottommost of said pair of discs to cooperatewith the projections formed on the inside face of said bottom cover, aU-shaped member depended vertically into the top of the body and havingthe free ends of its side arms attached to the bottom face of saidfirst-mentioned disc, and an inverted U-shaped member extendedverticallyinto the bottom of the body and having the free ends of its side armsattached to the bottom cover, each of said discs of said pair of discsbeing formed with spaced holes through which the side arms of one ofsaid U-shaped members slidably extends for guiding vertical slidingmovements of said pair of discs.

EDWARD PATOE.

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